Tibetan Butter Sculpture (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1989 January 24 - 1989 March 30

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened January 24, 1989 and closed March 30, 1989. Located in Section 19, Floor 2 in the Whitney Memorial Hall of Oceanic Birds at the American Museum of Natural History. Tibetan Butter Sculpture featured ten monks from the Gyuto Tantric Monastery in India demonstrating the sculpting of a Tibetan butter sculpture.

Summary

The Tibetan Butter Sculpture exhibition featured ten monks from the Gyuto Tantric Monastery in India demonstrating the sculpting of a Tibetan butter sculpture and was part of the Arthur Ross Exhibit of the Month program. The monks arrived at the American Museum of Natural History on January 24, 1989. The opening ceremony included Museum President George D. Langdon, Jr. and actor Richard Gere. The completed sculpture was on exhibit until the end of March (1; 2, p. 1; 3; 4; 7, p. 46).

The offering of the butter sculpting or "15 Chupas" is part of the Tibetan Buddhist New Year’s celebration, which fell on February 7 in 1989. In 1409, Je Tsongkhapa established the New Year's Great Prayer festival (Mon Lam Chenmo) as a two-week celebration of the Buddha's spring-time miracles (5, p. 1; 1).

The ten monks at the Museum began sculpting the tinted bas relief butter images on January 24. The bas relief images of deities, saints, delicate lotus flowers and miniature elephants, horses and trees were sculpted onto panels of chilled butter, some of which were eight feet tall. Figures depicted in the sculpture included Shakyumi Buddha, the five visions of Tsongkhapa, White Tara, 16 offering goddesses of Chakrasamvara, four protector deities, the seven ornaments of royalty and the mandalas of Guhyasamaja, Vajrabhairava and Chakrasamvara, which were embellished with delicate flowers and leaves (1;5)

On February 16, 1989, monks from the Gyuto Tantric Monastery performed an ancient chanting ritual in the Museum’s Main Auditorium. The Gyuto Tantric monks are known for their unique musical tradition of harmonic chant. Since the deep meditative sound of their harmonic chants are considered beneficial for those who hear them, Dalai Lama gave his blessing to public performances of certain ceremonies. During the chanting the monks wore brocade capes and ceremonial headdresses. During the performance, the monks used hand gestures and Tibetan instruments, such as long horns, thigh-bone trumpets, bells, cymbals and drums. The performance was jointly sponsored by the American Museum's Education Department and Tibet House New York (6).

The monks' last day at the Museum was February 24, 1989. They performed their ritual of harmonic chanting during the closing ceremony for more than 300 well-wishers. The butter sculpture remained on view until March 30, 1989 (3).

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

(1) American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Butter Sculptures Completed at American Museum, Monks to Depart”. February 16, 1989. Vertical Files. American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

(2) American Museum of Natural History, "Monks Begin Butter Sculpture Demonstration", Grapevine. New York: American Museum of Natural History, Vol 46, No. 1, January/February 1989. Vertical Files. American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

(3) American Museum of Natural History, "Monks' Swan Song", Grapevine. New York: American Museum of Natural History, Vol 46, No. 2, March/April 1989. Vertical Files. American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

(4) American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Tibetan Butter Sculptures on View until March 30”. March 27, 1989. Vertical Files. American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

(5) American Museum of Natural History. "Gyuto Tantric Monastery Butter Sculpture." [1989] Vertical Files. American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

(6) American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. “Tibetan Buddhist Monks to Perform Ancient Chanting Ritual on Feb. 16”. January 31, 1989. Vertical Files. American Museum of Natural History Research Library.

(7) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1988-1989.

---

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Department of Education.
Sponsored related chanting performance (6, 1989).

American Museum of Natural History. Whitney Memorial Hall of Oceanic Birds.
Location (1, 1989)

Do Kham
Provided Tibetan décor for exhibition (5, 1989, p. 2).

Gyuto Tantric Monastery
Ten monks from the Gyuto Tantric Monastery (India) created the bas relief butter sculptures (1, 1989).

Henes, Virginia
Provided Tibetan décor for exhibition (5, 1989, p. 2).

Starr Foundation
Provided grant to Education Department for exhibition (1, 1989).

Tibet House (Organization : New York, N.Y.)
Institutional partner for exhibition. Sponsored related chanting performance (1, 1989).

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1988-1989.
Pages 46, 56

American Museum of Natural History press releases, 1933-1990s.
"U.S. Premier of Tibetan Tantric Rituals at the American Museum on March 20 and 21." February 26, 1985; "Butter Sculpture by Tibetan Monks at the American Museum." January 10, 1989. "Tibetan Buddhist Monks to Perform Ancient Chanting Ritual on Feb. 16." January 31, 1989; "Butter Sculptures Completed at American Museum, Monks to Depart." February 16, 1989; "Tibetan Butter Sculptures on View until March 30." March 27, 1989

American Museum of Natural History Special Collections photographic drawers
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Black and white and color photo prints and contact sheets of exhibition on view]

subjectOf

Tibetan Butter Sculpture : [documentation related to the exhibition]. [American Museum of Natural History Special Collections vertical files]
Vertical File--Temporary Exhibitions; 1 folder: Museum memo; Grapevine articles; photocopy of page from AMNH 1988-1989 Annual Report; Tibet House New York brochure; black and white photo prints and contact sheets

subjectOf

Tibetan butter sculptures and performance photographic slides, 1989.American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Date of resource: 1989; 0.25 Linear Feet (1 box) 46 Photographic Slides; Identifier: PSC 61A

subjectOf

Tibetan butter sculptures photographic slides, 1989. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Date of resource: 1989;0.5 Linear Feet (1 box) 20 Photographic Slides; Identifier: PSC 85A

---